Thanks, Phil.
Perhaps they had wood ducks as well. My experience was at 0650 hrs this morning. The one in my photo doesn’t look at all like a duck’s foot, it is the foot of a perching bird.
There are so many ravens there, they would be attacking anything that looks like food.
Even so, the cicada numbers are still high.
Cheers
Margaret.
From: Phil Malin [
Sent: Monday, 8 December 2014 4:02 PM
To: Margaret Leggoe;
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Raven's breakfast
Apparently they were baby wood ducks. The crows managed to separate the group and pick them off during the morning. I believe a person may have intervened to save a few of them, but I haven't heard what the final outcome was.
There are an unbelievable amount of ravens in the area at the moment.
Early this morning on Callum Brae, there was a great raven ruction over
where the Cunningham skinks have their logs. Many white cockatoos joined in
the fray. Above it all, you could hear the screech of another bird that
sounded as though it was being attacked. Being under my hide watching
something else, I did not investigate, but about quarter of an hour later, I
saw this raven finishing off its share of the spoils. From what I could
see, the original bird had had black feathers, and then, only the pin
feathers of a very young bird. However, the foot (arrowed) of the bird this
raven was eating would suggest a fairly large chick.
My guess is it would have been a chough, and I have seen choughs nesting in
that area on a number of occasions. Any other suggestions?
Cheers
Margaret Leggoe
ravenchickendinner141208_A4362crop.jpg
